December 30, 2010

2010 – A Year to Remember

Look at a stone cutter hammering away at his rock,
perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it.
Yet at the hundred-and-first blow it will split in two,
and I know it was not the last blow that did it,
but all that had gone before.
~ Jacob A. Riss ~

If ever there was a memorable year for hubby and me, it is this one. 2010 was a watershed year, accomplished by a lifetime of planning, hard work, and perseverance.

We built and moved into our new Grey Havens cottage. We thoroughly enjoyed three wonderful vacations, with exciting memories that will last all of our days. Our health was good, with no trips to the hospital (always a worthwhile annual goal). And we continued to successfully weather the economic downturn that settled into all parts of the country.

It didn’t happen by accident. We charted a path a long time ago to reach our dreams, and then moved forward, taking one step at a time, hand in hand. We endured our share of disappointments and roadblocks along the way. Sometimes a little cursing and tear-shedding occurred when circumstances tried to push us off of the path. (Ah, those little stumbles are supposed to build character, right?) Sad to say, there were no “easy buttons”. But we stomped our feet, dusted ourselves off, and continued on the path, convincing ourselves that our diligence and tenacity would eventually be rewarded.

And with a year like 2010, I can now say that the gamble paid off. We reached our destination, that magical place that once was so very far away in the horizon.

2010 has been an exceptionally great year. Thank you, God, for the blessings we received.

And for you, my dear blogging friends, I hope that this personal reflection serves as a bit of inspiration for you to follow that path to your dreams.

11 comments:

  1. WOW! Thanks for visiting me. I grew up in Franklin, but love East TN......I hope you/Debbie win my coffee maker;)

    Beautiful blog. You are now bookmarked!

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  2. Girlfriend, you've inspired me since the day I met you! Here's to another great year my friend.
    HUGS!
    Kim
    Oh and I loved the quote!

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  3. Always good when things fall into place as you Plan.
    My Plans though we keep working towards them keep changing path and direction,I know we will find the equilaibriam just not yet....How great are new years with new beginnings

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  4. Happy New Year, sweet friend! I hope the next year will be as good for you guys as the one that is tickin' away. :)

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  5. Thank you for sharing this today - it's just what I needed! My sweetheart plans to retire in a year and a half or two and we have dreams and plans. You are an inspiration to keep working on our plans for the future. Thank you, my friend.
    ~Adrienne~

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  6. And I hope you continue to enjoy good health and the fruits of your hard work and sacrifice for many more years to come!

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  7. Well gosh. This brought happy tears to my eyes.

    I wish you another year of health, happiness and love my friend!

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  8. Following the path to your dreams is the only way to go. May all your dreams come true in 2011. Happy New Year to you and your husband.

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  9. God bless you and your family. Your post is inspirational. May you have a blessed and prosperous New Year.

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  10. Best of all, the two of you never forget to encourage others. Having been on the receiving end of those precious loving nudgings, and knowing you're in my corner cheering for me, by God's grace I am dreaming of and planning for a productive and prosperous 2011! And I wish you a 2011 with happiness and joy beyond your fondest dreams.

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  11. What a beautiful quote and what an amazing journey it's been. Wishing you a wonderful 20100 Donna!

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Marty, here! Donna loves comments, and I faithfully pass them on to her. Thank you so much for visiting!